I've never seen a chain of retail stores go under quite so quietly. Here is the lowdown from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:
Ohio-based packaging and printing supplies company Xpedx is closing its stores nationwide.And that was it. A Google search did not reveal any other news stories about this chain going under. Near as I could tell from the company's website, they have about 65 or so stores nationwide under both the Xpedx and Arvey brand names. Looks like closing their Canadian operations last year didn't do anything to help their bottom line.
Xpedx has one local store, at 725 South Ave. The stores specialize in providing supplies such as paper to smaller print shops.
The company announced the move earlier this month on its Facebook page. It does not give a time frame for the move. But according to Xpedx, it will replace its stores with a greater focus on its distribution network and with “mini-merchant” locations in some markets.
The move comes atop Xpedx’s closing last year of its Canadian operations as it focused more on the U.S. and Mexican markets.
Xpedx is part of International Paper Co.
Bonus: Xpedx is now a late paper company
Mr. Hicks:
ReplyDeleteLet me clarify our decision to close our Stores division. To be competitive and operate profitably within a quickly changing print industry, xpedx has determined that we need to reposition our operations so that we can continue to provide excellent service while successfully working with our customers in the fast-growing digital market. To do so, we will transition away from our current stores business model and will begin servicing those customers from our well established distribution network. We will also operate 14 locations based in 10 U.S. markets that have high concentrations of digital printers.
xpedx is the leading business-to-business distributor of packaging, facility and printing supplies in North America. We are focused on delivering the perfect order and making the business of our customers better by helping them improve operational efficiency, streamline purchasing and reduce total costs.
Effective now and continuing through April 30, 2012, our customer service and sales teams in our Store and Merchant locations will work closely with customers to transition their business. We invite Stores customers to reach out to their current representative for assistance or to answer questions.
Thank you.
Rick Ouellette, vice president, Communications, xpedx
Hi Rick -- that's all well and good...but this blog is all about stores, businesses and factories closing and people losing their jobs, belying the media narrative that the economy is in the middle of some glorious recovery.
DeleteBut thanks for writing. You're the first company spokesman who has ever bothered to comment on one of my posts.
Well this customer has received no communications of how I will buy my product. Rick, the communication is less than steller at this point. I called a no longer open store and a warehouse who has no idea where to get my paper. So far less than a steller transition. Oh and media coverage less than good to tell your customers. It looks like more like a sneak off into the night. It must be your top buyers and all the rest are SOL. Sounds more like greed and profit than service of customers. Gotta have me a great profit for my stockholders......push it higher IP.
DeleteDear Rick O.
DeleteSpare us the company line. You're closing the stores because some corporate IP hack didn't want to deal with a little $250 Million division. You're closing the stores because your inventory was cluttered with 50 different types of can liners. You're closing the stores because you couldn't figure out how to make the merchant divisions coexist peacefully with the stores. You're closing the stores because your computer system was designed by Fred Flintstone.
The stores were more profitable than the merchants. You people didn't feel like dealing with it. 800 people lost their jobs, give them them a real explanation, not some vague meandering drival.
Seriously, step up.
I typed in 'xpedx sucks' in google and it brought me here. I was employed by xpedx for six years, with a staff of approximately 20 people. I worked for one dumb CFO after another, Ken Lizwek, Mary Davis, Ed Goralski. You had a guy at the top, Dave Gruenewald who flew in every week on the company dime and was the head of the good old white boys network. Anyone worth a crap at the entry level got a different job quick enough, then xpedx wouldn't allow you to hire replacements, while at the same time staffing Human Resources to the gills. I had employees who never showed up, had phone sex, ran their own businesses while at work and HR demanded that I deal with it all without one of their reps in the room. They hired people almost literally off the street with low intelligence and even lower ambition. It took an enormous toll on my personal life, having to stay late and early at all hours to cover store openings across the coasts. To help morale, they'd haul out an old style bingo wheel and give one lucky employee a $25 giftcard. There were good people there who were forever underrated and less appreciated. They had one cartoonish idiot in marketing Mike Cape who would yelp "We will make our plan!" and made each employee sign a banner that we would. We willingly took the Kinko's business from National Accounts and lost tons of money immediately because we were ill equipped to handle the volumes. Other than all of this, it was a richly rewarding experience I won't soon forget. It was like Dunder Mifflin, only without any humor.
DeleteI've been an xpedx customer since before they had stores. At one time a truck used to deliver from their warehouse to my store. One day they told me, you're not big enough to service any more like this (I spent about $25,000 a year with them) - but look! We have these wonderful stores you can go to and pay higher prices than warehouse prices. Two months ago they said. Sorry, these stores aren't working - but look! You can call our warehouse and if you spend $250 we'll deliver to you. It's funny how it's always to serve us better. Xpedx sucks.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the paper business has undergone such a great consolidation there are very few choices anymore (I am down to essentially 2 suppliers in my market). I think this industry needs a little congressional oversight before they allow further consolidation.
Look Up Domtar Paper Company. They own excellant supply and distribution called ARIVA. Yeah, make the switch
DeleteI have been running printing presses for 38 years. For the last 28 years I have been owner of a small print shop in Houston. Like any other printing related business, I hated to see Xpedx go, but I am not surprised. Most printing companies are changing from offset to digital which required a major investment and that means the small companies merge with the big ones or go out of business. I am one of only a hand full of offset print shops left in Houston. To survive I have had to keep a much lower volume of inventory due to the downturn of business, which in turn requires a lot of shot trips to paper stores. This makes it hard to justify purchases from Xpedx due to the 35 mile distance from my shop. Xpedx however was a good company while it lasted, but like so many others, they are cutting out anything that is not a major profit for them. I have seen this happen with many other shops as most merge with other and go digital. I am still a small offset printer and I still give that personal one on one service for each customer and will hang in there as long as I can. For those of you who are angry at Xpedx for shutting down, don't blame them. They are trying to survive like everyone else...it is just sad that it come at the expense of people losing jobs and making it that much harder for some small companies to survive. I survive only by God's grace. There is only one solution for fixing the big picture and if you care to look it up, it is here. 2 Chronicles 7:14 I pray that the rest of you guys with more ink in your veins than blood will have a prosperous year. God bless. James Galyon, Agape Graphics, Houston, Texas
ReplyDeleteI am a former Xpedx Paper and Graphics store manager on the east coast, I worked for them in the stores division over 10 years,we went to annual meetings in Chicago in February and during those meetings we were told of the state of the company,including IP and our division and at every meeting we were told that the stores division were really the only group that was making money,basicly meeting our financial goals for the most part.
DeleteWere they lying to us ?? We were told that we put more margin and profit to the bottom line than any other division.
Were they lying to us ??
I would really like to hear some real answers please.
XPEDX is the weak, non- profitable paper distribution division of International Paper. Look at the Xpedx quarterly and yearly profit numbers. Xpedx has been downsizing operations for 3 years and the profit numbers continue to slide deeper. Expect more changes.
ReplyDelete2008 changed everything at least in the mid-am division. do more with less.lots of consolidation.
DeleteI have been an Xpedx customer when they were still Dixon Paper Company, and just like Uni-"Joke" they are giving up on a LOT of smaller companies and only going for sales from the top 400 printers in the US. That translates into large volumes - easy sales. In the name of better customer service I have taken over $30,000 in purchases to another paper supplier last year alone. And they weren't my only paper supplier. And for the guy who loves Domtar, try buying a commodity pastel blue, pink, ivory... from these guys. They are only interested in the Strathmore crowd. Translation, higher dollars for the same amount of production time.
ReplyDeleteI would like to give an update about xpedx and their business practices. It has come to my knowledge today, that they no longer cater to the public. In order to purchase from them, you have to have a business account with them and order in high volume that will bring in at least $2000.00 per transaction. I personally have been shopping at two of their sights for over 15 years. It's all about the money nowadays, forget about the needs of the small business owners. Our hard earned dollars given to them, I guess are not worth as much. If you would like to comment on their recent changes, you can contact them via the information listed below:
ReplyDeleteHeadquarters
6285 Tri-Ridge Blvd.
Loveland, Ohio 45140
Main Phone: 513 965-2900
Mary Laschinger
President, xpedx
Xpedx's decision to shutter their stores has created a void in the "small Printer" supply store for fine paper and graphics. In the Southeast, Mac Papers continues to open stores and see's the "small printer" as an area of growth. We welcome all former Xpedx store customers. Please visit our website, www.macpapers.com for locations of our MiniMac Stores
Deletegood Linda . i hope you take all their business from them. xpedx sucks !!! their business practices suck & all they do is lie & blow smoke up everyones rear end !
DeleteI am a Xpedx employee, IP has been making bad decisions for Xpedx over the past 3 years and has been rolling down hill 100 miles an hour, with bad decision after another, like they have been doing it intentionally, before RP was implemented in Hbg, Pa division, Xpedx HBG,Pa was on top in the whole country.
ReplyDelete